Chapter 28: Time of the Essence

Another slightly shorter chapter, however I feel like giving you guys a quicker chapter as a bit of an early Christmas present.

Enjoy the chapter!

The second the pride made landfall they took towards harvesting the land of any and every resource they could get their claws on. While the king and Cheka went to settle her down in the cave, the entire pride of lionesses and cubs took towards searching, picking, plucking, and tearing down whatever they could fine to report back to Delu. Leaves torn from branches, bark clawed and stripped from trews, snow kicked up and moss ripped from the earth, all brought to her to examine and judge.

While this was all going on, Besai scouted out further territory. Two of the pride members resumed hunting for the pride, though were ordered to stay within close range. Though the blizzard had ended, the weather was still treacherous and the darkness of night could obscure many hidden traps across the icy and snowy landscape. If one was to get lost or get trapped, they were instructed to remain calm, have the other return back, and then retrieve help.

By before dawn and the first traces of light began to filter into the sky, the pride was gathered in the den. A boar and a bushbuck were killed by the hunting party and were being distributes to the rest of the pride as they worked. Enough moss had been gathered and Delu had dipped it in a mixture of melted snow and a few of the plant items gathered against Zira's mouth. The lioness, though breathless and burning up, willingly sucked the fluid from the moss like a cub on a teat. The action was enough to bring some relief towards the anxious atmosphere and Zira was able to drink up all the concoction before settling calmly down.

And so, as the first streaks of pink appeared into the sky, the pride settled down to rest. Within a few moments, all but two were still awake.

Still extremely anxious and feeling uneasy, Zaki crawled quietly over to Zira's side and wriggled his way between her legs, chest and head. He pressed his head tightly against her chest, trying to gain reassurance from her beating heart and body warmth.

A lick to his head broke him from his worrying. "You should be asleep," a raspy voice said. He looked over his shoulder and saw a tired eyes and worn expression looking concerned at him.

"So should you," he whispered. "You're the one that needs it more then me."

Her eyes flicked down for a moment, staring intently at the ground. "I don't think it's going to help me much," she admitted after a while. Her tongue ran across her lips and she swallowed. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it the rest of the journey back."

Zaki was quiet, but his face showed the despair and turmoil he felt inside. His paws unconsciously grasped onto her leg and he cuddled in closer. His face pressed into her fur as he shook his head.

Her paw shakily came over and pat the top of his head. "There there now. No time for tears, I need you to be strong," she murmured. Her voice was like gravel in his ear and he clenched onto her tighter. Her tongue went out to wet her lips again and she thought for a second.

"Did I ever tell you the story of what it was like before I came over the mountain?" His face arose for a moment, his eyes bright but not wet. He shook his head.

"Well, let me first say is that I was not the kind of lion you would not like to know. I was cruel, I was hurtful, I was mean and angry and I treated a lot of lions poorly. I had such a deep-seeded hatred inside of me that it clouded my better judgement. I hurt so many lions, my pride, my children, and most importantly myself. Though I tried to get better there, even after all that had happened and those who I did not think would be able to forgive me doing their best to help, I felt the need to push them away. To start anew." Her voice was deteriorating rapidly and she paused to regain her breath.

"I realize now I should've tried harder to accept the help and loved they were giving me, instead of pushing them away like I had always done. While I don't regret coming here and meeting you, the pride, and helping them out of their situation-"

Her lungs hacked up a series of dry coughs. Her free paw rose up to her mouth to muffle them as to not awake the pride. Zaki wriggled himself free, ran over to the outside where the unused plant remains were, grabbed a leaf and swept up some snow into it, before dragging it inside, making sure to breath onto it to melt. It was hardly even a slurry when he brought it over, let she lapped up the icy water like she had not seen it in days. Though the snowy sludge sent painful, uncomfortable shivers down her throat and spine, the coughing ceased within moments.

Zaki waited patiently for her to recover. Thankfully the pride did not wake up during the fiasco. "But?"

She panted for a few seconds before staring tiredly up at him. "I want to make final amends with them. My daughter, my son, Kiara, Simba... I wish to speak to them before I..."

"Don't talk like that auntie. Please don't," Zaki begged, his eyes growing bright with unshed tears again. Seeing his distress, she widened her legs, gesturing him to come close. He did as shown and grasped tightly around her neck, pressing his now crying eyes into her pelt.

"Oh Zaki. You are such a wonderful, smart, strong cub. You'll make an excellent leader some day." He sniffed, tears falling onto her fur. "Just promise me this, will you? Promise me you'll be there for the pride. Even if you must leave, never turn your back on them."

"I will auntie, I will. I swear it," he mewled sadly. She laid her head upon his back and together the two fell asleep like that.

By the time they had awoken, the late afternoon sun had been obscured by graying clouds. Besai alighted down into the cave and addressed the group.

"I can see the other side of the mountain. It's not too far away, but the weather looks to be picking up again. If we hurry, we might be able to escape the incoming weather and begin to descend down, but I can't guarantee if there will be any sort of shelter or whether or not the trek forward will be treacherous."

"I-" Zira's voice broke down into heavy, hollow coughs, sounding like she was trying to hack up both her lungs and her stomach. Hackles rose as a frothy spit gathered around her maw. The lionesses surrounded her while Zaki leapt out of her embrace.

"Oh dear, guess the medicine wasn't enough," Delu fretted. She raced back out to gather the stash of items and immediately began shuffling them out in order to prepare another batch. She was just about to crush the bark down again when a paw reached out and grabbed her leg.

"Don't!"

All eyes turned towards the tan, green-eyed, kindhearted cub.

"Zaki?"

"It's not going to be enough. She's too sick."

Compared to the outside world, nothing could for the chilly silence that fell upon the group. The cub's voice was nearly broken, yet scarily serious. Delu's jaw hung open a second before she bit her lips and slowly let go of her items. Her face slowly turned towards the group, sadness visible in her eyes.

"I- I cannot deny what he said. The medicine given last night, it was honestly meant to be either what would improve her health or just confirm what we all had feared." Her eyes fell to the floor and she dipped her head down solemnly. "There is nothing more that I can do."

A lioness gasped and pressed her face into her pride-sister's shoulder, who nudged comfortingly in return. Zula lowered her head, obscuring her tearing eyes while Cheka and Naima pressed a paw on her and added their tears to the growing stream to the floor. Inzondo looked frozen in shock while Besai looked regretful, yet in full resignation to what was to occur.

"Don't blame yourself," Zira wheezed out, capturing everyone's attention. "You did all you could." Her body shivered, yet she strained to lift her head up against the pain and tiredness to address the group. "I knew for a while now that my time was coming, yet I had hoped... ngh... that I could at least reach," she panted as her forelegs pressed herself up, "there before I-"

The strain was too much and she collapsed down into the embrace of the dark lion as he surged before her. He rubbed his cheek, face and entire head against her, trying to both comfort her and himself as his walls broke down and silver, salty trails came down his face. Zula cried out and joined them, wrapping her foreleg and head around Zira's back and neck and sobbing. Zira, feeling drained of all feeling and energy, could only slump tiredly and numbly against them.

The rest of the pride watched together, pressed to one another and sobbing as one of their own was wasting away and the other two had already begun grieving.

It was unknown to them how much time had passed, but the mourning had subdued when the loud flutter of feathers drew attention to the shikra anxiously bobbing her head at the outside. A cold wind blew in and turned the hot tears into ice.

"Let's leave now," Inzondo said as he stood up. Zira had fallen unresponsive and she limply fell against his legs. Zula swooped her paw under her chin before it could make contact with the floor and then bit onto her nape. The others rushed to lift parts of her body up to adjust her onto Inzondo's back. The dazed lioness moaned softly, but otherwise could do nothing else. After he had adjusted her accordingly onto his back, the king of valley, the protector of his subjects, and the reformed ruler addressed his pride.

"Let's go!"

As something that should be said for the pride that lived in the mountain valley, it was not commonly thought that there was a higher force in charge of the land and its inhabitants. Sure the ideals of nature were to believed, that there was a certain balance to be maintained and respected, failure to which everything would be thrown off. The land for many years had been misused by the mismanaged pride, in that prey was over hunted instead of changing areas in which to catch prey. In place where the prey did not eat, it became overrun by parasitic and nutrient-stealing plants who eliminated the plants other prey would feed upon, leaving the land unsuitable and dry. In there absence, they hoped the prey would repopulate and return the land to what it originally was like before the pride's issues.

As for beliefs upon the final step within an animals' life or that of there own, it was not as glamorous or renowned as other prides and lands had portrayed it. You died and you died, that was it. Varying on how you lived, perhaps you would live on in memory, as a tale of caution, a lion of noble ideals, or just another character of your pride's history. The rest of you became food for the vultures and worms.

Still, as the pride began to descend the mountain, within them something stirred regarding the practices been done for the last couple generations. For years they had suffered under an oppressive king and pride, only to remain frozen and fearful when his son overthrew and took over. Sure the new king had made multiple mistakes, and his isolated, gruff nature had been a deterrent for them, however his dedication to give them freedom and the ability to make decisions had been realized and the pride felt a bit stronger.

So when the pride saw how their king was trying to swiftly move down the mountain side and juggle keeping the lioness who had driven a dynamic change for the better of the pride on his back, a spark of sympathy and drive to help surged forth.

One of them approached as he struggled to keep Zira balanced while he hopped down a rockier side of the slope. "If you get tired to carrying her, my lord, I can be of assistance," she offered. Though the lion only snorted in response, she had seen the smile move up his protruding jawline.

Seeing someone take action inspired the others to follow. The other lionesses offered to take the cubs since the slope and deep snow piles could be treacherous. While Cheka was perfectly fine allowing the two to ride on his back the rest of the way, he felt touched by the pride's sudden desire to help.

The infection of kindness did not just stop there. Besai offered to scout forward for the smoothest, easiest path down while others opted to go ahead to determine the safety from a physical perspective.

It wasn't too long till the first snowflakes began falling down upon the groups' backs, but by that point they had forsaken the dry, rocky terrain and instead had descended far enough into the clouds to reach a misty bamboo forest, which appeared to only grow on an angle of the mountain before it descended into the foothills. The air began to grow more humid and a bit warmer, the snow was beginning to grow wetter. The slipperiness from the water made for some near fumbles and the occasional slide into a pile of bamboo stalks, though soon they were able to push out of it and onto a more clear, grassy foothill.

There the mist began to fade and the group, worn and wet, could finally step out into the sunset, looking from their hill at the sight before them.

A large plain expanse was spread out, leading down from the mountain side and across a diverse and stunning landscape. As far as they could see was a large grassland, accented with hills, trees, bushes, rivers and streams. The waters glinted gold with the setting sun, sparkling like the feathers of a brightly-colored bird. Faintly they could make out herds and the like dotting the plains and water. Further out they could faintly make out drier plains, forests, even the faint sliver of yellow marking the desert. Beside it there was the tinted-orange expanse surrounded by canyons, barren and dry, cut off from the richer, verdant land by a river. A wafting breeze flew up to their faces, bringing in the warm scent of living, thriving living beings, the sweet fragrance of grass, and rich aroma of earth.

The most notable feature of all, though small from the distance, was the light-lit, proud-standing, stone structure, like a lighthouse towering over the savanna, a distinguishable mark for all to see.

And standing above all of it were them, awestruck and stunned silent by the incredible, diverse beauty that had been across their mountain and unknown until this point. Amazement rose in all their chests, within it hope blossomed like roses after a drought and the fresh, new rain coaxes them forward.

"The Pridelands," Zula whispered, her eyes fixated upon the view.

"The Pridelands," the others repeated in unison.

"The Pridelands!"

With the loud cheer, the cubs hopped off of Cheka's back and began rushing down the hill. For the rest of the pride, their fixation now broken, joy and excitement coursed through their veins and they surged down the slope. A hope in their heart, a renewed energy in their limbs, and a single, jubilant cry escaping their throats.

"To the Pridelands!"

By nightfall, the group had reached the base of the mountain, thoroughly exhausted, yet almost maniacally giddy. Eyes turned behind them, seeing the peak they had scaled above. The clouds had faded more, revealing the imposing, treacherous rock they had scaled in their journey for freedom and solace. The moon had begun to rise as the sun had fallen behind the summit, illuminating the snow as a silvery blanket across the spires.

Below all of it, the ground was soft and smooth. Though their muscles ached and thirst tugged at their sore throats from their cheers, they plodded across the landscape. A nightly breeze brushed up into their nostrils, filling their senses with the sweet scent of petrichor and the fragrance of life. Wherever they walked, they saw it everywhere.

The gentle snorts of wildebeest and other herds as they clustered together to rest for the night. The peaceful coos and twitters of the settling birds in their nests. The soft petals of flowers, their colors muted in the dark, but lovely nonetheless. Even the dirt beneath their feet was rich, lively earth, and a few of them would take pause just to sink their toes into the soil and inhale the warm smell.

They soon came across the river delta, striking through the land like clear, sparkling ribbons between the sediment and savanna. Excitedly they stepped into the shallow banks up to their chests and dipped their muzzles into the clear, sweet water and practically inhaled it into their parched throats. When they arose, the water droplets clung to their muzzles like diamonds and they exhaled peacefully, a real sense of peace and tranquility falling upon their labor-worn bodies.

While the pride regained their strength, Delu took towards gathering the moss at the rocks by the banks and soaking them in the river before delivering the sopping plant towards Zira's limp face. The lioness had perked up at the sound of rushing water and she willingly sucked the fluid from the moss as it was pressed onto her lips.

A shrill call suddenly broke the calm silence and everyone's body tensed, waiting and looking to see what lurked in the darkness. A somewhat dark laugh broke in the low-light environment and Besai swooped down, a chuckle escaping her beak. Beneath her talons, the dead body of a hare lay. The cubs were first to recover from the shock and they rushed out of the water to glare at her.

"Frightened you, did I?" The mock pout she gave, surprisingly well for a creature with a beak, did not sit well with the two. The raptor soon realized her folly when she realized how close she was to the both of them as they then gave a wily smirk each and shook their sopping pelts. Squawking indignantly, she dropped the prey and flung herself into the air, before fleeing towards a nearby tree and glaring back at their chuckling faces.

A harsh cough broke them out of their mirth as Zira, despite drinking second ago, hacked up her lungs as if she had been stranded in the desert for days on end. Inzondo trotted up out of the banks towards a large patch of moss by the edge and laid down so that she could slide off. Her entire body shivered, despite heat radiating off her in waves. Zula approached and swept her forelegs under her head, pressing the delirious lioness' face against her soft chest.

"Oh sister," she cooed, leaning down to lick her sweat-matted forehead.

Out from the river the pride returned, shaking off their pelts and licking off the excess moisture. The moonlight illuminated their clean, damp pelts and their distraught faces.

Towards the distance their king looked, spotting the great stone lighthouse not as far away as before. The sheer size and majesty, even from afar, reflected it's strength and the power of those it held inside. One more day and they would reach it.

"We awake at dawn and reach their by daylight. Tonight we rest. I want everyone well rested and presentable for when we reach the pride and I expect you all to be humble and respectful, yet prepared for whatever happens when we arrive. Is that understood?"

Nothing was said, yet everyone clustered on and around the mossy ground and settled down against one another. Well wishes for sleep and pleasant dreams were murmured all around, and the gentle hands of sleep soon covered everyone.

A bit of joy and happiness to end this chapter on. Let's see how long it will last. Anyways, hope you all are doing great, hope the holiday season a/o school finals are not stressing y'all out too much, please leave a review and I will see you soon. Sincerely, v.t.7